Filipino workers who were most affected by the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic must win big in the government's recovery programs, Senator Joel Villanueva said Saturday, May 1.

Villanueva, chairman of the Senate labor committee, issued the appeal as he paid tribute to Filipino workers, especially frontline and essential workers, on Labor Day.

In his Labor Day statement, he stressed that the revival of the Philippines' economy "greatly hinges on Filipino workers bouncing back from the ill effects of the pandemic.”

“Dahil manggagawa po ang higit sa lahat na pinadapa at naging pinaka-apektado, marapat lamang na manggagawa rin ang higit na makinabang sa recovery programs ng gobyerno at makaranas ng alalay sa pagbangon (Because workers are the most affected and suffered the most during the pandemic, it is only proper that they be the ones to benefit the most in the government's recovery and assistance programs),” Villanueva said.

“Ang muling pagbangon ng mga manggagawa ang tanging pag-asa at paraan upang ang ating ekonomiya ay muling umangat at sumulong (The recovery of our workers is the only hope and way so our economy can grow and move forward),” he reiterated.

For 2020, the Philippines saw its worst economic performance since 1947, recording a negative gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 9.5 percent.

Unemployment rate was also record-high at 10.3 percent, which translates to about 4.5 million jobless Filipinos.

Villanueva also noted the long lines at community pantries indicates that workers "are receiving too little aid at a time of great need."

“Sinasalamin po nito ang kalagayan ng ating mga manggagawang nawalan ng trabaho, mga no-work-no-pay, lalo na po ang mga nasa informal sector (This shows the plight of workers who lost their jobs, or no-work-no-pay employees, especially those in the informal sector),” Villanueva lamented.

“Naniniwala po tayo na may kakayahan ang gobyernong magbigay ayon sa kanyang mandato, pananagutan at kapangyarihan. Ang kailangan po natin ngayon ay pantry ng mga trabaho, pantry ng mga ayuda, at pantry ng mga bakuna (We believe the government has the capacity to give aid in accordance with its mandate, responsibilities and authority. What the people need are pantries of jobs, aid and vaccines),” he appealed.

Villanueva maintained that the vaccination of workers is key to further reopening the economy.